Medical billing code L0631 is assigned to lower back (lumbar-sacral) braces that meet with a set amount of qualifications. A brace with L0631 coding must provide sagittal, or side-to-side, control. Rigid front and back panels are also required, to provide a firm source of support. An L0631 brace measures from the tailbone to the T-9 vertebra.
In order to remove stain from the spine, an L0631 creates pressure through compression which evenly distributes support. This is important because it allows the intervertebral discs to keep from getting pinched.
L0631 braces include straps and closures that allow the wearer adjust the brace for a proper fit. A brace of this nature may also include a pendulous abdomen design, padding, and shoulder straps, however it will not affect the billing code if they are not included. These braces are prefabricated, but in order for them to qualify for the L0631 billing code, they must be modified in some way to costume fit the patient. Whether the brace is assembled, molded, bent, trimmed or in some other way customized, the brace must be fitted by a qualified professional to fit a specific patient.